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James Gordon (New Earth)
Later, in one particularly memorable night of mayhem, The Joker kidnapped Gordon from his home and shot Barbara, making her a paraplegic for life. He then took Gordon to a run-down amusement park he had souped-up, stripped him naked, put a collar with a leash on him, and caged him in a freak show. In an effort to drive Gordon insane, he forced him to look at massively enlarged photos of Barbara naked and bleeding, degraded and in pain, so he could prove to Batman that even the most grounded, seemingly normal person can lose their minds after having "one bad day." Batman eventually apprehended the Joker and rescued Gordon. Despite the intense trauma he had endured, Gordon's sanity and code of ethics remained intact; before Batman left to pursue The Joker, Jim insisted that Batman apprehend the Joker without harming him, despite his atrocities, because the Joker had to be shown "that our way works." In the aftermath of her paralysis, Barbara was forced to end her career as Batgirl, but continued to fight crime. She adopted the enigmatic persona of the computer presence, Oracle, information source for the superhero community, and behind-the-scenes leader of the all-female The Birds of Prey. No Man's Land Following the "Contagion," "Legacy" and the "Cataclysm," Gotham City was nearly completely destroyed, and quarantined and isolated from outside assistance by the U.S. Government. Gordon was one of the few who remained behind by choice, and struggled to maintain order amidst the rampant crime and anarchy. Batman was mysteriously absent for the initial three months of the crisis, and Gordon felt somewhat betrayed. He went as far as to renounce Batman's name, and deny his symbol as a means for protection, believing that it only symbolized false hope. He forged an uneasy alliance with his old friend Harvey Dent (Two-Face), but was later (naturally) double-crossed, kidnapped, and put on trial by Two-Face for breaking their "legally-binding" alliance. He escaped Two-Face's wrath, and later met with Batman once again. In this confrontation, Gordon expressed his disgust towards Batman for letting Gotham "fall into ruin". Batman offered to prove his trust by revealing his secret identity, but Gordon refused to look when Batman removed his mask. Eventually their relationship was repaired. New Gotham After Gordon's relationship with his wife Barbara had become strained, the two eventually divorced. He fell in love with and married fellow officer Sarah Essen, with whom he was much more compatible. However, Essen could not comprehend why Gordon needed Batman so much, which occasionally also put a strain on their relationship, although basically they loved each other and got along well. Unfortunately, she was shot in the head by the Joker at the very end of "No Man's Land," for catching a baby he had thrown at her after he told her not to move. An enraged Gordon was barely able to restrain himself from killing the Joker, but did end up brutally shooting the Joker in the knee. Afterwards, the Joker was at first incredulous, believing that Gordon may have shot him so he could never walk again, but soon he began to laugh, after he "got the joke," that Gordon had just avenged his daughter. Officer Down During the events of "Batman: Officer Down," Gordon was gunned down by a crooked police officer, a man in front of whose family he had been arrested by Gordon. Although Gordon was put into a coma, he did eventually pull through, and the true meaning of his relationship to Batman was more heavily gone into. Batman was nearly unable to work with the rest of the Gotham Knights in bringing down the shooter, spending all of his time at Gordon's bedside. Barbara, and his more loyal amongst the GCPD, such as his longtime friends Harvey Bullock, Renée Montoya and Crispus Allen were among those hardest hit, Barbara more so than anyone. Although the assailant was eventually brought in for interrogation, they were unable to successfully prosecute him, and he ended up with his revenge taken on Gordon, but still at large. This is arguably the fault of Crispus Allen, who refused to use the Batman as an interrogation tool until the very end of the time they were allowed legally to hold him, believing it immoral. Retirement Gordon retired from the police force after having served in it for more than 20 years. He remained in Gotham, and occasionally enjoyed nighttime visits from Batman, who would come to him for advice and, although the topic was clearly directly avoided by Bruce, for companionship. Commissioner Michael Akins became the new head of the GCPD after his departure. Gordon's most prominent moment in Batman's life during this time was when he was contacted by the currently-reformed Harvey Dent to stop Batman from beating the Joker to death after the Joker was framed for the apparent murder of Thomas Elliot, helping Batman get through his rage to see that killing the Joker would accomplish nothing but make him just another criminal, Gordon refusing to allow his friend to fall like that. When Barbara required surgery to save her life from the Brainiac virus while in Metropolis, Gordon visited her. She revealed to him her current role as Oracle, as well as her past as Batgirl. Gordon admitted that he knew of her life as Batgirl, but was pleasantly surprised to hear that even after being crippled, she had found a way to continue her life as a superhero. He is very proud of her accomplishments. Return As of "One Year Later" after the Infinite Crisis, Gordon had returned to the role of Gotham's Police Commissioner.Batman: Face the Face The GCPD had uncovered immense corruption from within, reportedly reaching all the way up to Commissioner Akins himself. Commissioner Gordon continued to work with and without the aid of Batman and Robin, constantly striving for a better Gotham City. Blackest Night While mourning the passing of the original Dark Knight Detective, who was apparently killed in action during Final Crisis, Gordon and his daughter witnessed Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) crash into the Batsignal, after being assaulted by a reanimated version of the deceased Martian Manhunter. After offering the hero a spare car, the Gordons then find themselves fighting for their lives against the reanimated versions of the original Dark Knight Detective's rogue gallery members at Gotham Central, where Gordon made short work of serial killer Abattoir (in Black Lantern form) with a shotgun (pumping rounds into him leaving nothing but his feet intact, showcasing his nastiness with the 12 gauge). They were rescued by the current Dark Knight, Robin, Red Robin, and Deadman, but were later attacked by Batman's and Red Robin's parents, the reanimated Flying Graysons and the Drakes. While Batman and Red Robin battled the Black Lanterns, Robin took the Gordons to their underground base where Alfred Pennyworth tended his wounds (Gordon was unconscious, thus protecting the team's secret identities) along with Barbara's at the bunker's infirmary. ]] The Black Mirror The Commissioner is surprised when his son James Jr. returns to Gotham. Barbara tries to warn him that her step-brother is a psychopath, but young James confronts his father. He explains that he's taking medication for his psychopathic tendencies, and asks his father not to get in the way of him getting a job with Leslie Thompkins. Gordon hunts down an old child murderer, and begins to suspect that he might've been wrong about the young girl they believe his son killed as a child. Sonia Zucco is targeted by the super-villains Roadrunner and Tiger Shark, so Gordon has Batman help track down her friend's killer. , 877, 878 Barbara runs tests on James Jr.'s medication and finds he's reversed the formula, to increase psychopathic tendencies instead of limit them. They realize he's using his job with Leslie Thompkins to turn thousands of infants into psychopaths like him. Barbara Eileen is attacked by toxin and they hunt down the Joker, but James Jr. reveals himself as the culprit when he kidnaps his step-sister. Batman hunts James Jr. down and stops him, the Commissioner shoots his own son in the legs and then stops him from jumping off a bridge. They're left unsure whether or not they really stopped his plan to turn infants into psychopaths, but it's implied he might have succeeded. The New 52 After the DC Universe rebooted during the Flashpoint event, Jim is still acting as commissioner of the GCPD. He has also returned to smoking, using it as an excuse to go outside and contact Batman. He is captured by new villain Dollmaker as revenge for Gordon killing his father many years ago. He is rescued by Batman before he is killed.Batman: Faces of Death Gordon seems to be aware that Bruce Wayne is Batman, as he calls Wayne from his apartment, making several references to a recent conversation with the Dark Knight. | Powers = | Abilities = * : James Gordon received an honorary doctorate in the field of criminology from Gotham State University. * : Gordon served in the United States military and was trained in hand-to-hand combat. By his own account, his martial prowess was honed to the point that he could defeat a Green Beret in physical combat. * : James Gordon is proficient in all aspects of criminal detective work and police procedural matters. He also has a keen instinct in regards to the political aspects of managing the Gotham City Police Department. * * : He has also shown remarkable strength of will and an ability to maintain his mental fortitude and sanity in situations when other characters such as Batman or Superman would have cracked. * : He is also an expert leader, having spent decades as the leader of the world's most corrupt police force in the most dangerous city. That he has managed to not only survive, but to make Gotham PD stronger is a testament to his abilities. * * : In his youth, Gordon served in the United States military. | Strength = Jim Gordon possesses the strength level of a man his age, size and weight who engages in moderate regular exercise. Over the years, Gordon's strength level has diminished with age. In his prime, Jim Gordon was very athletic with above average strength. | Weaknesses = * Cardiac Condition: Jim Gordon has a heart condition, which he contracted after a lifetime of cigarette smoking. He has since quit but occasionally relapses in times of stress or as an excuse to go to the top of the GCPD building. | Equipment = | Transportation = * Police Cruiser | Weapons = * .38 Special Police Issue | Notes = * The character of Commissioner Gordon was originally created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. The modern incarnation of James Gordon's character is mostly attributed to Dennis O'Neil and Frank Miller, first appearing in . | Trivia = * Throughout his career James Gordon has been known as the Commish; Jim Gordon; Sgt. Gordon; Lt. Gordon; Captain Gordon. | Wikipedia = James Gordon (comics) | Links = * Commissioner Gordon at DCU Guide * Commissioner Gordon at Comic Book Database | Recommended = * Batman: Year One * Batman: Gordon of Gotham * Batman Special #1 * Batman: Wrath Child * Batman: The Long Halloween * Batman: Dark Victory * Batman: Turning Points * Batman: The Killing Joke * Batman: No Man's Land * Batman: Officer Down * Batman: Gordon's Law }} Category:Divorced Characters Category:1939 Character Debuts